


Pre-Wedding Jitters

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess), ariestess



Series: OQ Book Week 2020 [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Inspired by Wicked, M/M, Multi, Nervousness, OQ Book Week 2020 (Once Upon a Time), Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23731042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/ariestess
Summary: It's the morning of the day before Margot is set to marry Alice and be crowned Empress Consort of all Oz.  It will take all three of her parents to calm her down and remind her of what's important.
Relationships: Alice | Tilly & Robin | Margot, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood/Pinocchio | August Booth
Series: OQ Book Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706551
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5
Collections: OQ Book Week





	Pre-Wedding Jitters

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 18 August 2020  
> Word Count: 1534  
> Written for: OQBookWeek 2020  
> Inspiration: _The Wicked Years_ saga by Gregory Maguire  
> Summary: It's the morning of the day before Margot is set to marry Alice and be crowned Empress Consort of all Oz. It will take all three of her parents to calm her down and remind her of what's important.  
> Spoilers: A fantasy AU set in the world of Oz that takes place a nebulous amount of time after the events of _Out of Oz_ , though I estimate it to be between 1-2 years later. The characters we know are there, but not everything we know about them is necessarily the same.  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Okay, so this one turned out rather differently than I expected when I first started planning it. Oh, the characters are all where they need to be, but this ended up being far more introspective than I'd planned to write. Then again, these are my muses and introspective angst is kind of my bread and butter, I suppose. LOLOL Also, I took some serious liberties with the characters' personalities and such, between the books and this fic. 
> 
> And yes, Amanda, I specifically chose August as their third for you. It's not the WoodenOutlawQueen fic I still owe you, but it's a bit of something for you.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Not currently, but Taylor's a kickass cheerleader!

"Good morning, Margot," Robin says, coming into the dining hall of the palace wing their family has been accorded. He smiles brightly at his daughter as he loads up a plate with food. Without thought, he reaches mostly for any and all fruits he can find, as well as a handful of biscuits and a small jar of jam. He makes his way to the table before she says a word, and settles in a chair to tuck a fancy cloth napkin into the collar of his shirt. He slathers a generous portion of both butter and jam on the first biscuit before he realizes she hasn't said a single word yet. "Margot? Love, are you all right?"

Her eyes are wide and she's staring off into space, breakfast forgotten on the plate in front of her. She'd grown her hair out in the time she was off exploring what was west of Oz. It was dark and poker straight all of her life that he knew of excepting, of course, when Eva used glamoury to hide her in plain sight. Now, after months, years, of flying between sea and sun, her hair has lightened to a dark, mousy blonde; it's as if the sun itself tried to leech its way into her to highlight the pale apple green of her skin.

"Margot?"

She starts then, and blinks rapidly as she faces him, cheeks darkening in clear embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Papa. What did you say?" 

He can hear the faint lilt of her mother's native tongue in his daughter and it sends a small thrill through his heart to know the connection is still there, even after all this time. "Are you feeling all right, love? You seem a million miles away."

"Just nervous about tomorrow, I guess." She licks her lips and picks at her food. "Papa, were you nervous when you and Mama got married? Or when you and Pops made your commitment to each other? Or…" She stops then with a nervous laugh, tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear, another trait so much like her mother.

"Margot, it's very normal to feel this way," he replies, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "I was nervous with your mother because we barely knew each other at the time, but I felt it down in my marrow that she and I were meant to be together, even if only for your sake. Old Mother Eugenia married us in a quiet little ceremony in the chapel dedicated to Saint Coraelphaba, which seemed more than fitting, given your grandmother's name and all. I'm quite certain your great-grandfather named her that on purpose." When Margot smiles and bites her bottom like, all Robin can see his wife in her features, despite his mother's coloring. "And with August… Well, love like ours can happen in the military, but it's not always brought out in the open. We could've had all sorts of problems, but we didn't care. Love is love, just as the truth must always be told."

Now a sly smirk curls up her lips, and he's reminded of his mother doing the exact same thing on occasion before she died. "You mean like when you had Eva disguise what I looked like and change my name?"

"That was to keep you alive, love, and you know it. That's different."

They share a chuckle, and he feels relief flood his veins when she pops a bit of egg into her mouth to chew it slowly and swallow. "And what about when Mama came back to you and Pops?"

"You have no idea how happy I was when she came back to us. You were gone, trying to find yourself and what was beyond the ocean west of Oz, and it was taking an emotional toll on me and August both, even though he didn't know you as well. He still missed you, and he felt everything I felt, as well. When your mother came back…"

"When I came back from where?" 

Just the sound of her voice from the doorway sends his heart trip hammering in his chest, like it has every time she enters the room since returning to his side again. Glancing up, Robin can see both of his loves in the doorway, hands linked together and sleepy, sheepish grins on their faces. The chuckle bubbles up past his lips as he realizes that they'd indulged in a little hedonistic pleasure before coming to break their fast.

"Good morning, Regina, August. I was just explaining to our daughter that it's all right to feel nervous before her wedding day," he says softly, stretching his free hand toward the two of them, grateful when they come toward him. "That I'd felt it when we got married and when I committed to August, and when you came back to us to complete the triad as Mother Eugenia foretold."

Her cheeks turn a deep crimson color at his words. "I still can't believe the old girl was right about that." She leans in to press a gentle kiss to his lips, then moves to greet their daughter as August kisses him. "The entire time I'd lived in the mauntery, I was so sure she was off her rocker, but not that day. And it wasn't until I'd left all of you in my stupid selfishness and was all alone with only my thoughts and my seething jealous rage that I realized she'd been more lucid more of the time than I ever expected. She explained it all to me in bits and pieces over the years, up to and including Margot and Alice's wedding tomorrow, as well as our relationship with August, Robin. It was all there, but no one would pay attention to her."

August wraps an arm around her waist from behind, holding her close as he reaches for my hand with the other. "We're paying attention now, Regina, and we're sharing the truths she's already told. We're being honest about the love between all of us, and telling the story of Cora and Eva and the Dark One and the Animals as it happened, not as the former rulers of Oz wanted it told. That's what matters."

"That," Robin replies, "and making sure our daughter gets married and officially crowned as Empress Consort tomorrow."

As one, the three of them turn to look at Margot, who blushes deeply at the attention. "I'm not sure who's more excited about that, you three or my Till-- Alice." She blushes again as she stumbles over her fiancée's name.

Regina shifts to slip from August's arms to crouch next to her daughter. "Does it really matter who's more excited as long as _you_ are excited, my sweetling?" She strokes Margot's cheek. "You _are_ excited, aren't you?"

"I am, Mama, but also really nervous. What if she changes her mind?"

"You mean like I did?"

Robin feels his heart break when Margot nods. He leans back when August hugs him tightly, watching as Regina comforts their daughter as only a mother can. The memories of Regina walking out on them on two different occasions come filtering back from the locked boxes they've been kept in, but he knows this is something their family will have to deal with again.

"Margot, your papa and I had our issues, I won't lie about that, and I was very jealous of what he and August had when they were conscripted into the royal army and fell in love. And then when I left the second time, there were far too many things happening for all of us and I got scared and ran. I wasn't sure who I was, and I couldn't be who you and your papa and your pops needed me to be, so I had to walk away to find myself again, I had to run to learn who I was and who I wanted to be. You had your time to do that, so did Alice. But she didn't just have to find herself, she had to find the strength to become the ruler of all Oz. She's going to need you and your love and strength now more than ever before, my sweetling, so that she can remember who she is apart from the Empress Alice. No matter that she was born to be the Empress Alice, she is Tilly to you, just as you are Robin Rain to her. Never lose that part of yourselves, my sweetling, never lose the bond that brought you together in life and in love, and you'll be just fine."

Margot falls into her mother's arms, sobbing softly, and Regina just holds her and murmurs softly. Robin can't hear what she says, but knows the words don't matter, just as the fact that Regina had left their family twice ultimately doesn't matter. All that matters is that the love of their family, as odd and extended as it is, will always hold true and bring them back together, no matter what.

Tomorrow their family will officially expand by one more and, if the gods are good, there will be babies to help raise to continue the royal line.


End file.
